But First, the Problems of Overfeeding with Formula the First Weeks of Baby’s Life

A baby who is encouraged to take more per feeding may be at greater risk for obesity later in life. One study followed 653 people who had been fed formula as babies. Tracking them from birth to adulthood, the study found that gaining more weight during the first 8 days of life may alter a person’s metabolic programming and lead to being overweight 20-30 years later (Settler et al. 2005).

Other research, too, indicates that babies who are bottle-fed non human milks are 25% more likely than breastfed babies to be obese by the age of 4-5 years (Armstrong and Reilly 2002; Toschke et al. 2002).

This may be due in part to the differences between these milks. But it may also be related to differences in feeding method. This tendency to encourage babies to ‘tank up’ to the maximum at each feeding sets up an unhealthy eating pattern at birth that could well contribute to obesity (Li, Fein, and Grummer-Strawn 2008).

From Breastfeeding Made Simple, Mohrbacher and Kendall-Tackett 2010.

Next post: The importance of small feedings for the newborn.